Debates of Dec. 14th, 2011

Denis Lebel Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, it was an honour for me to announce a new bridge over the St. Lawrence on October 5, thanks to the work of this government and our Prime Minister.

While the official opposition is looking to shut down bridges in Montreal, we are promising to open them and to work on them. We recently met with business people, chambers of commerce and mayors from both sides of the St. Lawrence. We will continue to work with them to come up with a plan that makes sense and that will address the needs of the public.

André Bellavance Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, with Christmas fast approaching, Quebeckers have nothing to celebrate considering the federal government's actions. Reducing Quebec's political weight, withdrawing from Kyoto, scrapping the data from the gun registry, imposing a costly and regressive justice model, weakening copyright and undermining our culture, abandoning the Davie workers, appointing unilingual anglophones to key positions, and even idolizing the monarchy all fly in the face of the values of Quebeckers.

Given such a poor performance and so many affronts, will the Prime Minister admit that he has written off Quebec and that recognizing the Quebec nation was simply a smokescreen?

Christian Paradis Minister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)

Mr. Speaker, we presented an economic action plan that has had extraordinary spinoffs for the entire country. We managed to make it through the recession and fared better than most countries. Some 600,000 net new jobs have been created in Canada. That party voted against the budget we proposed in the previous Parliament. Now they are relegated to the far corner of the House. That is a clear message from the people that they want a government that can handle the economy and create jobs. That is what we did. We also resolved the matter of harmonizing the GST and QST. Those are real issues. We are delivering the goods.

The Speaker Andrew Scheer

That concludes question period for today. I know there are a couple of points of order, and we will get to them.

The Speaker Andrew Scheer

I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Trevor Holder, Minister of Tourism and Parks and Minister of Wellness, Culture and Sport for New Brunswick.

The Speaker Andrew Scheer

I would also like to draw to the attention of all hon. members that Mr. Rob Walsh, our Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, will be taking a well-deserved retirement early in the new year, after more than 20 years of faithful and dedicated service to the House, including 18 years as a table officer.

He has provided wise counsel to the House, its committees, the Board of Internal Economy, and many individual members over the years.

Mr. Walsh is sitting at the table right now and I know you will all join me in saluting his long and successful career on Parliament Hill.

Justin Trudeau Papineau, QC

Mr. Speaker, during question period the Minister of the Environment chided the member of Parliament for Halifax for not having attended the conference in Durban after he prevented any members of the opposition from attending in Durban. Therefore, I lost my temper and used language that was most decidedly unparliamentary. For that I unreservedly apologize and I withdraw my remarks.

Peter Kent Minister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, I too rise on a point of order. I understand that the third party, the Liberal rump, is somewhat out of sorts as this government corrects one of the biggest blunders the previous Liberal government ever made.

I am not particularly troubled by the unparliamentary language hurled at me by the member of Parliament for Papineau, but I believe he owes this House an abject apology--

The Speaker Andrew Scheer

I believe the hon. member for Papineau just did that.

The hon. member for St. John's South—Mount Pearl.

Ryan Cleary St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL

Mr. Speaker, I wish to apologize for using a word that I have been told is unparliamentary. The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans asked a question. He asked this House whether he looked like a bully. I merely answered his question. I would answer the question the same way if he asked it again.

The Speaker Andrew Scheer

I am afraid that is not an acceptable retraction, so the hon. member may have some difficulty getting recognized until he decides that he may want to respect the House.

Is the hon. member for Malpeque rising on a different point of order, or the same point?